I am currently recovering from a weekend in Chicago.  At the last minute, I was given the

Bono closes the show.

opportunity to see U2 at Soldier Field.  U2 is a band I  grew up and became an adult with.  The first time I saw them was across the Canadian border in the 80′s  at the Fox Theatre, Detroit, Michigan.  It was a historical venue that held an intimate amount of people.  It was fantastic.  I have seen them 3 other times since then.  They are one of those bands that as I went through various stages of my life always had a relevant presence in our society.  They give me a timeless feeling.  I remember sitting a few rows from the stage on Halloween shortly after marrying Jay thinking how cool it was being able to afford tickets that close, given the status U2 had reached.  I felt like a real grown up.  For their last tour, we had to sell our tickets because Jay’s dad had suddenly passed away and Jay had to go to England.  Ironically it was Halloween again.

Going to the Chicago concert this weekend felt incredibly relevant since I have moved through yet another phase in my life; dealing with a life threatening illness.  There have been many surreal moments throughout my treatment.  The physical alterations, dealing with my own mortality and the wonderful layers of closure you can attain if you are open.  Closure gives us the opportunity to release all evidence of trauma, anger, stress, pain and move on to a new sense of optimism and mindful gratitude.  Sometimes closure doesn’t have to be anything life altering.  It can be simply deciding your not going to complain every time you are in traffic because of construction.

In the past, Jay would have arranged to have great tickets and have an itinerary for a great evening.  Where he is normally right on top of these things, for what ever reason he missed the window.  I was disappointed but didn’t hold it against him.  His track record is far too good.  Turns out my younger cousin of 10 years Mark, had two extra tickets.  His girlfriend Melissa is an über, die-hard U2 fan.  I say that because she loves to be right up front by the stage which I think is great.  Thing with that is main floor is usually general admission.  She was a trooper and made it her quest to be in line holding our places first thing in the morning.  This allowed my cousin, Jay

Our backdrop for lunch.

and I to spend the day walking around Chicago.  Like I said, she was a trooper.  We ended up at an outdoor cafe in the park.  The one near the sculpture, The Silver Bean, that provides a liquid reflection of the buildings behind you.  It was beautiful.

Mark and I had the opportunity to catch up on family stories and laugh at our past antics.  Jay and Mark have always got along so we had a great meal and drinks, with great conversation.  We had a blast.  Thanks to Melissa’s commitment, we were right up by the catwalk at a concert where there were approximately 80 000 people.  As always U2 provided an uplifting evening.  So at 41 I have come full circle – standing in sea of people, humbly waiting to be inspired.

On our drive home we stopped for dinner.  The steakhouse was located off the highway.  There was a large bar across the parking lot with quite a few motorcycles.  As we sat there enjoying our well cooked entrees, we discussed the concert, music history and its influence on society.  Our server was a friendly, personable African- American man who assisted us in ending our weekend off on a good note.

Here are some of the many special things I take away from this weekend:

• I, like everyone around me stood patiently to absorb the pure inspiration being given by the incredibly talented members of U2.
• I was able to play a role in keeping the next generation of my family tree united.
• I felt common bonds with the diverse people around me during dinner.  My husband has a motorcycle and we love going out on long rides.  I could appreciate the roar of the Harleys in the background.  I had to believe that my server trusted we respected him and the service he was providing us.  I hoped everyone on that patio was mindfully enjoying their food, drinks and company and finally letting go of past racial stereotypes – on all ends; bikers included.
• Insight and more closure.

I truly believe we are on our way to recovery.  This is a time that requires unified, innovation.  I think of the amazing strides people like Kathy Giusti have made by uniting brilliant people to share ideas and make great changes in the world.  New cancer drugs to be exact.   I know there are great challenges ahead but as history would confirm, we have overcome obstacles in the past.  When in doubt, reflect back on individuals that have overcome extreme difficulty: Nelson Mandela, Lance Armstrong, and Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell to name a few.  The next step is to discover your role in weathering this storm we are going through.  It can be as simple as changing a negative thought into a positive one; smiling instead of looking so serious.  Believe in possibility.

PS. Did I mention that my favorite dance crews is Jabbawokeez and Quest Crew?  I used to teach hip hop fitness classes.  I have been bald due to cancer treatment and people still thought I was beautiful.  I love Donny Deutsch , Jon Stewart and the county Harley Davidson dealer we recently visited is a Vegan who does Yoga.  Like I said, believe in possibility.